Mattar Paneer is a popular North Indian vegetarian dish that features green peas, or mattar (pronounced like mutter) in Hindi, and paneer, a mild Indian cheese. The paneer is lightly pan-fried before it soaks in all the flavor from the creamy spiced onion-tomato curry. It’s a flavorful and satisfying dish that is commonly served with roti or fluffy basmati rice as a quick weeknight dinner in Indian households. The paneer is a great source of protein and the peas has fiber, making it hearty for everyone at the dinner table. This is a recipe passed down from my mother. I grew up with Mattar Paneer and roti for family dinner a few times a month, so I’m really fond of this dish. It’s tested to perfection to taste homestyle like hers, with additional pointers from the Dishoom cookbook’s Mattar Paneer to elevate it to a restaurant-quality dish. It’s not to be confused with Paneer Makhani, which uses butter, has more spices, and a different technique to preparation. If you love paneer, you’ll also want to try this Chili Paneer and Saag Paneer!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
Paneer - You can make paneer at home with just milk and lemon juice, or purchase it from most large grocers, like Whole Foods and Costco. Firm tofu or halloumi are great substitutions, although halloumi may be too salty. Onion - A yellow onion or red onion work fine. Tomatoes - I prefer to use quality vine or roma tomatoes and chop it very finely with a chef’s knife. Canned tomato puree can also work just fine. I also use about 3 tablespoon of tomato paste for a concentrated tomato flavor. If you’d like to use more fresh tomatoes, use up to 4 roma tomatoes and reduce the amount of tomato paste to 2 tablespoons. Ginger and garlic - We use the classic ginger garlic paste, which is a one to one ratio of pureed ginger and garlic. Green Chili - Use Indian green chilis, serrano peppers, or as your last option jalapeños. Remove the seeds if you prefer less spice. Kasuri Methi - Or dried fenugreek. This is an Indian speciality ingredient that may not be used often in may homes but is that one ingredient that most people agree can take a dish, like Butter Chicken, to the next level. Crush it between your hands to “activate” it’s flavor. Peas - Peas, or mattar, is one of the star ingredients in this dish. Use frozen peas year round, or fresh peas if it’s in season. Spices - For spices, we’re using cumin seeds but if you don’t have the seeds then you can use ½ teaspoon of ground cumin. For ground spices, we’re using turmeric, garam masala, kashmiri chili powder, asafoetida, and coriander. Asafoetida can be substituted with amchur or omitted if unavailable. Kashmiri chili powder is a really mild chili powder, so you can also use paprika with some cayenne. Cream - Use heavy cream or half and half for a creamy Mattar Paneer. My mom prefers to use sour cream for a bit of tang if it’s in her refrigerator, otherwise she makes it cream-free. Cilantro - Used as a garnish.
Every Indian household makes Mattar Paneer a little different. For example, some add sugar to offset the acidity from the tomatoes.
It’s a one pot, 30-minute recipe so there’s minimal dishes and it’s easy to get in front of the family. This dish is vegetarian, and it can easily be gluten free by omitting the asafoetida. It can be served over basmati rice with a side salad or with roti and a sabji for a family of 4. I love Mattar Paneer as meal prep for the week!
How to make Mattar Paneer
1. Fried Paneer (Optional)
Let’s start off with the paneer! If you’re making homemade paneer, you’ll want to ensure that it’s set and ready to use. Ultimately, frying the paneer is optional! It can be added directly into the curry without this first step.
2. The Curry
Add the peas and about a cup of warm water. Bring it back to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes. Be sure to stir it occasionally. Now, you’ll take your homemade or store bought paneer and cut them into 1-inch cubes or into rectangles. Paneer tends to be a bit rustic in shape, so don’t worry about perfect cubes. In the meantime, put a tablespoon of ghee into a heavy bottom pot and melt it on a low to medium heat on the stove. Once the paneer is done, transfer it into a bowl and set that aside while we make our curry. I use the same dutch oven to make the curry so it’s less dishes. Keep it hot while we move to our next step. Note: You don’t have to worry about the paneer melting in the pot, since paneer is a cheese that doesn’t melt! However, if you’ve just made the paneer fresh then you’ll want to be extra gentle so that it doesn’t crumble. If frying the paneer in the last step soaked up a majority of the ghee, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil into the pot on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds into the hot oil for about a minute. Once it starts popping, add the chopped onions. Once the onions have browned, about 6 minutes, add the green chili and ginger garlic paste into the pot. Stir everything together and sauté for a minute. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar for about 10 minutes. Simmering the tomatoes for will develop their flavor along with the spices. If it dries up, add 2 tablespoons of warm water and continue to let it simmer. By the end, you should have a deep red, aromatic, chunky mixture of onions and tomatoes. You’ll also notice that the oil starts to separate on the sides. Pro Tip: At this point, you can turn off the heat and allow the onion-tomato masala to cool a bit before you blend it. Blending will result in a smooth and creamy restaurant-style curry. Honestly, in my family we don’t blend it. It creates more dishes and takes more time. Our goal is usually a quick one-pot meal on the dinner table. After the 5 minutes, you’ll have a thick tomato-based curry. Taste it to adjust for salt and spices. Add the cubes of paneer we fried earlier. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the paneer to soak in the curry, stirring in intervals. Lastly, add the cream and remove the curry from heat. Top it off with a dusting of kasuri methi and stir everything together really well. Now we’re ready to serve! Note: If you’d like a thicker curry for serving with rotis, you can continue to allow it to simmer until it reaches your desired consistency. If you’d like to loosen it up a bit for rice, add ¼ cup of hot water or enough to your preference.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish the Mattar Paneer with chopped cilantro. It’s delicious when served over a bed of basmati rice with a kachumber side salad. It’s more common to enjoy it with roti and another light dish like Aloo Methi.
More Indian Main Dishes to try
Recipe
Some store-bought paneers can be rubbery. Soak it in warm water for 10 minutes to soften it. Poke holes in the paneer and sprinkle on some salt. Lightly pan fry the paneer in ghee or neutral oil until golden brown on all sides. Add a slightly cracked green cardamom pod for more flavor. Allow the flavor to develop at each step. From browning the onions to simmering the tomatoes until thick and concentrated, these steps may take a bit of time and some stirring but it makes a huge difference in bringing out the subtle sweetness in onions and tomatoes. You may need to deglaze with some warm water if the curry dries up. Blend the onion-tomato masala for a smooth, creamy curry. Add a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomato. Add heavy cream or sour cream for a rich, creamy curry.
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